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W. F. RIVERS. VOTING MACHINE.

APPLiCATION FILED JAN. 31. 191.9

1,360,799. Patented Nov. 30; 1920.

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4 a fan W. F. RIVERS.

VOTING MACHINE. APPLlCATIQN. FILED JAN. 31, 1919.

1,360,799. Patented Nov. 30, 1920.

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WFZZU/Prs- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VOTING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent; vPatented NOV. 30', 1920.

Application filed January 31, 1919. Serial No. 274,237.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM F. Rrvnns,

a subject of the King of Great Britain, re-

siding at Nair-n Center, in the Province of Ontario and Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Voting-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to voting machines, and the primary object of the invention is to provide an improved means for instantly determining the number of votes received by candidates immediately after the votes have been cast and to prevent each voter from registering more than one vote for his candidate.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for locking the registering keys against movement, after the same has been depressed by a voter, so that more than one vote is prevented from being registered by the same voter, and having means for releasing the keys for the next voter.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved voting machine having a plurality of keys, each one of which rep resents a candidate running for aparticular office, and having improved means for operatively connecting the keys with a set of counters or the like.

A still further object of the invention is toprovide an improvedvoting machine of the above character, which is durable and eflicient in use, one that is simple and easy to manufacture, and one that can be placed upon the market at a reasonable cost.

With these and other objects inview, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter more specifically described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved voting machine.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same, showing the cover plate in its opened position. 7

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through the upper portion of the machine.

Fig. 4 is a detail cross section taken on the line 4.4: of Fig. 3. c

Fig. 5is a detail cross section taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a detail horizontal section taken on the line 66 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 1 generally indicates the improved voting machine, which includes a substantially rectangular casing 2 having front and rear walls 3 and 4, the

upper and lower walls 5 and 6, and the end walls 7. A plurality of compartments 8 are formed in the casing 2 by means of horizontal parallel arranged partitions 9. It is to be understood that there are to be as many compartments 8 as there are candidates and the voting machine may be built larger or smaller as may bedesired. The casing is further divided by a vertical partition 10 which also forms relatively small compartments 11,v which form means for receiving the locking mechanism 12, while the compartments 8 receive the counting mechanism 13. The counting mechanism 13, which is identically the same for each compartment 8, includes a plurality of parallel axles or shafts 14, which have their terminals journaled in the front and rear walls 3 and 4. Upon each of the axles 14 a disk 15 is secured, having the numbers from 0 to 9 printed thereon. The front wall 3 is provided with apertures 16,through which one of the numbers is adapted to be seen. It is to be understood that the disk 15 on the right hand side of the casing is used to represent units, the next tens, the next hundreds, the next thousands, etc. The shaft 14 on the right hand side is provided with a ratchet wheel 17, having a rearwardly extending pin 18 secured thereto which is adapted to engage one tooth of a star wheel. 19 carried by the next shaft 14. Thus it will be seen that when the disk and ratchet wheel 17 have been rotated one complete revolution, the pin 18 will engage the star wheel and rotate the same one point, so as to bring another number in registration with the opening 16. The star wheel 19 carries a forwardly extending pin 20 which is adapted to engage one of the teeth of a similar star wheel 21 mounted upon the next shaft 14, which is adapted to be moved one point,

when the last mentioned shaft is rotated same one point when the last mentioned shaft has been rotated one complete revolution. This star wheel carries a forwardly extending pin 24: which is adapted to engage the teeth of the star wheel 25 carried by the next and last shaft 14:. Thus it will be seen that an efi'ective means is provided for registering anc counting the number of votes received by each candidate.

An arcuate lever 26 is provider. -tor each comparment S and has the rear end thereo' pivotally secured to a shaft 27, which has the terminals thereof secured in the front and rear walls 3 and 4i: oi the casing. The shaft 27 is located above and between the two shafts 14- at the right hand side of the casing and the lever extends over the first shaft l iand over the ratchet wheel 17. Each of the levers 26 is provided with a downwardly extending vertical arm 23 having an upwardly and laterally extending tooth 29 adapted to engage the ratchet teeth of the ratchet wheel 17. The arm 28 extends short of the lower end of the casing and rests directly above the knob 30 formed on the angular extension 31. of the lever 32 which is pivoted intermediate its ends upon the pivot pin The lever 32 extends outward through a slot 3% in the front wall 3 of the casing and is provided with a thumb piece 35, whereby the same may be operated. From this arra" ment it will be seen that a lever is provid :1 for each of the registering and computing devices and when one of the levers 32 is depressed, the knob 31 will engage the lower end of the vertical portion 28 of the lever and force the same upwardly and thus bring the teeth 29 into engagement with the ratchet teeth and turn the ratchet wheel one point. 1

Jr locking bolt 36 is provided for each of the levers 26, and the inner end of the bolt is adapted to engage a shoulder 37 "formed on the levers to hold the same against movement after they have been operated by a voter. The sliding bolts 36 are normally held in engagement with the shoulders 37 by co l springs 38, which are attached as at to the forward ends of the bolts and the opposite ends ot' the coil springs are secured as at eiO to the side wall A latch at) is positioned directly above the arcuate portion of the lever 26 and engages the same and the outer end of this spring normally engages the inner end of the locking bolt to prevent rearward movement of the bolt and thus hold this bolt out of engagement with the shoulder 37. The latch 40 is pivoted as at 41 to the casing and it will be seen that when the operating lever 32 is operated and the arcuate lever is forced upwardly, the same will lift the latch 4:0 out of engagement with the rear end of the locking bolt 36 and thus allow the same to be forced rearwardly by means of the spring 38 and into engagement with the shoulder 37 on the lever which prevents the same from being actuated again until the bolt has been moved forward. The extreme rear end of the bolt 36 is beveled as at 42, so as to permit the ready disengagement of the latch d0 with the bolt 36. Each ot' the bolts 36 are provided at their upper surfaces with notches 412 the front wall of which is beveled downwardly and inwardly as at $3. A plate ll is slidably carried by the partition 10 and is provided with a laterally extending arm 45 which protrudes outwardly through. a slot formed in the rear wall 4: of the casing and is provided with an actuating knob and this plate is provided with a plurality of openings, through which protrude the bolts 36. The lower walls of these openings are inclined as at 47 and when the plate ii is pulled downwardly by means of the knob 4:3, the inclined surface d7 engages the beveled surface 43 of the bolt 36 and tends to slide the same forwardly and out of engagement with the shoulder 37 and allows the latch 40 to resume its normal position behind the bolt 36.

A cover plate 51 extends the entire length of the front face of the votii'ig machine and covers the openings 16, so that the number of votes received by each of the candidates cannot be seen by the voters and this cover plate 51 is pivotally secured to the lower end of the front wall 3 of the casing y means of hinges and is normally held in closed position by means of a padlock 53, which extends through a hasp 5-1, the sections or which are carried by the upper end of? the cover 51 and by the upper wall of the casing.

Thus all that is necessary to determine the total number of votes received by each candidate, after each voter has registered, is to unlock the padlock 53 and swing the cover plate 51 downwardly which will bring to view the numbers registering with the opening 16 in the casing.

In operation of the improved device, one voter is admitted at a time to the polls, and he depresses any one of the levers according to which candidate he desires his vote to be cast for, which will through the medium of the lever 26 rotate theratchet wheel 17 one tooth and thus register one vote. This operation actuates the latch 40 and moves the same from behind the bolt 36, and allows the same to be moved rearwardly by means of the spring 38 and into engagement with the shoulder 37 and thus prevents the key from being actuated again. The ofiicer having charge of the poll then places his hand on the knob 45 and pulls the same downward, which will move the bolt 36 to its forward position and the machine is then ready for the next voter.

The latches 40 are connected together by a rod 54, so that when one of the latches is forced upwardly by one of the keys 32, the others are simultaneously operated therewith, which allows the bolts to be forced rearwardly and look all of the levers against movement, and thereby preventing a person from voting for more than one candidate, when more than one candidate is running for the same ofiice. The rod 54 is pivotally connected to the dogs 40 by means of pivot pins 55, which are removable, so as to permit the dogs 40 to be operated independently when so desired. I

When the ballot box is used for general election or municipal election, where there are two or more candidates to be elected, the pins 55 are removed, so as to allow the dogs 40 to be operated independently of one another and thus allow the voter to vote for the several candidates running for the different oifices. If so desired two forms of the ballot box can be constructed, one with the connecting rod 54 for ballot boxes where there is to be one candidate elected and where there are several candidates running for the same office and one ballot box without the rod 54 for ballot boxes for general or municipal election.

In practice, I have found that the form of my invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings and referred to in the above description, as the preferred embodiment, is the most eflicient and practical; yet realizing the conditions concurrent with the adoption of my device will necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize that various minor changes in details of construction,

proportion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, when required, without sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention as set forth.

hat I claim as new is:

l. A voting machine comprising a casing, a computing and registering device mounted therein, a pivoted lever arranged to operatively engage the computing and registering device, a shoulder formed on said lever, a sliding bolt, means normally holding the bolt in engagement with the shoulder, means engaging the bolt to hold the same out of engagement with said shoulder and against said means, and means for actuating said lever.

2. A voting machine comprising a casing,

a registering and computing device mounted therein, an arcuate lever, means pivotally connecting the lever at the rear end thereof to the casin a downwardly extending arm formed on t e lever, means formed on said arm for engaging the registering device, a shoulder formed' on said lever, a sliding bolt, means normally tending to move said bolt into engagement with the shoulder, a latch engaging the rear end of the belt for holding the same out of engagement with the shoulder and against said sprin means, an actuating key arranged below t e lever for operating the same, and a sliding plate arranged to engage the bolt, to move the same out of engagement with the shoulder and the lever after the same have been actuated, as and for the purpose specified.

3. A voting machine comprising a casing, a registering and computing device mounted therein, a pivoted lever, means carried by the lever for engaging the registering device, a latch arranged in the casing and normally tending to engage the lever to prevent movement thereof, lever engaging means to throw the latch out of engagement with the lever, and an operating member arranged to engage the pivoted lever and actuate the registering device, as and for the purpose specified.

4:. A voting machine comprising a casing,

a registering and computing device mounted therein, a pivoted lever, a locking bolt arranged in the casing and adapted to engage the lever, a spring normally urging the bolt into engagement with'the lever, means arranged above and adapted to be operated by the lever upon movement thereof for engaging the bolt and to normally hold the same out of engagement with the lever against the tension of said spring, operating means arranged to engage the lever and operate the same, and manually operative means mounted in the casing for returning the bolt to its initial position after actuation of the lever.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM F. RIVERS.

Witnesses MARY C. SMEEDE, JACK GANNON. 

